UAE retail giant teams up with SAP in digital transformation push

Dubai-based Majid Al Futtaim is spearheading the digital transformation of the region’s $313 billion retail market, both in taking a growing slice of e-commerce and enhancing Carrefour customer shopping experiences online and in-store.

As more malls open, the GCC’s retail sector will grow by 25 percent to $313 billion by 2021, according to Alpen Capital. Online shopping revenues are also increasing, with projections for the Middle East e-commerce market set to triple to reach $49 billion by 2021, according to Deloitte.

Responding to the dramatic retail changes, Majid Al Futtaim is digitally transforming its Carrefour brand with global technology company SAP. Carrefour now has one digital platform that integrates over 100,000 products on its website, in-store kiosks and tablets, and mobile app. Majid Al Futtaim is re-inventing experiences for over 750,000 daily customers and also simplifying its supply chain.

“The Middle East retail sector is experiencing seismic changes, which is a major opportunity to enhance our customer experiences with real-time insights,” said Marco Antonio Urios, Senior Vice President, Omnichannel Solutions and Supply Chain at Majid Al Futtaim Retail. “As part of our vision of creating great moments by offering inspiring experiences, our digital transformation with SAP enables our customers to order online or from our mobile app and have them delivered to their doorstep.”

Worldwide, 81 percent of retailers say it is important to transform customer experiences and equip store associates with real-time insights, according to SAP research. Among customers, Accenture shows that 91 percent are more likely to shop with brands that recognise and remember them and provide relevant offers.

In 2018, Majid Al Futtaim launched the Carrefour digital platform, running on the SAP Hybris solution, now called SAP Commerce Cloud, in Egypt, Jordan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and the UAE. This year, Majid Al Futtaim plans to extend their services across more markets it operates Carrefour in.

The company also launched an express online one-hour delivery service, CarrefourNow; Scan&Go – enabling customers to scan and pack products as they shop the aisles for seamless in-store shopping; among several other omnichannel digital solutions for in-store and online shopping.

“Majid Al Futtaim demonstrates how a home-grown UAE brand can compete on a regional and global level thanks to the power of digital transformation and e-commerce innovation,” said Abdullah Saqqa, Head of Customer Experience, SAP Middle East and North Africa . “As an Intelligent Enterprise, Majid Al Futtaim is transforming customer experiences to allow customers to purchase the products that they want from anywhere, at any time, and from any device.”

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